All-Star athlete Sam Cart­ledge is leading the charge for deaf athletes on and off the field.

Cartledge, 23, was recently named the Male Athlete of the Year by Deaf Sports Australia for an impressive 12 months. He was vice-captain of the Deaf Men’s Basketball team, the Goannas, who snared gold at the Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Taiwan.

Despite the award, the 23-year-old remains humble in his approach to the game.

“When I’m not playing sport, I’m fundraising and seeking ways that deaf athletes can represent their country on the world stage, without having to pay out of their own pockets,” he said. Cartledge was born deaf, but received a cochlear implant in his left ear when he was two years old. The gold medal at the Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Taiwan was the first time Australia had won a gold medal in a team event in deaf sporting history.